The Complete Paratime by H. Beam Piper
reviewed by Steven H Silver
This is a collection of stories that have influenced much of the alternative
history published since they appeared. In order to understand the genesis of
works by Harry Turtledove, S.M. Stirling and others, it is essential to have
read this book. The fact that these stories are well written and
entertaining only makes it easier to read them and be thankful that Ace has
elected to keep them in print.
The Complete Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper
reviewed by Jean-Louis Trudel
Reprinted in one volume, the three original Piper novels is an endearing
flashback to a different brand of SF. By modern standards, the plot is
extremely fast-moving with no lack of strongly drawn characters and
plenty of action, in what would be hardly enough room for one of the
modern behemoths swollen by the advent of word processors.
Shattered Sphere by Diane Piron-Gelman et al.
reviewed by Don Bassingthwaite
BattleTech is a game that already has an overwhelming amount
of published material. But this is the one supplement that can give you a
real feel for the current state of affairs in the game setting.
Amadis of Gaul translated by Edwin Place & Herbert Behm
reviewed by Georges T. Dodds
Some might think The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion and the many subsequent volumes culled from the
Tolkien archives, not to mention the works of his imitators, as a literary first for fantasy, a work of pure imagination emerging as a sort
of societal and literary icon. Similarly, one might think Conan as the first literary super-warrior to become an industry
onto his own, with vast numbers of sequels, adaptations, and ripoffs. Of course, in both cases, one would be roughly 500 years out of
date, 600 years if one hearkens back to the origins of Amadis of Gaul.
The Anime Companion by Gilles Poitras
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Watch an anime film for a few minutes. Behind all the action, there is a
wealth of detail. Poitras has broken it all down for us, in encyclopedia
format. Everything you may have wondered about or never even noticed is
divided into 14 categories, each with a concise definition of the term.
Platinum Pohl by Frederik Pohl
reviewed by Steven H Silver
His career as a science fiction writer dates back to 1937 with the pseudonymous publication of the
poem "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna." In addition, he has been an editor, an agent, and a publisher.
He has won Hugos, Nebulas, the Skylark, John W. Campbell Memorials, a Grandmaster Award, and more. For all he has
done, he is probably best know for his fiction, and this is the first
retrospective look at his career since The Best of Frederik Pohl and The Early Pohl were published in 1976.
The SFWA Grandmasters, Volume 1 edited by Frederik Pohl
reviewed by Ken Newquist
In a genre that's committed to thinking about tomorrow, sometimes it's easy to forget about yesterday.
This new series remembers the good old days.
Reading the stories in this book is like visiting childhood friends whom you've never quite
forgotten.
O Pioneer! by Frederik Pohl
reviewed by Stephen M. Davis
The novel is entertaining, and breezy enough to be read in a couple of sittings. The dialogue
is generally quite good, and the universal translator has a wonderful habit of making all alien
speech come out worded like the dialogue in a bad Kung Fu movie.
The Siege of Eternity by Frederik Pohl
reviewed by Steven H Silver
A sequel to The Other End of Time, this novel
profiles a future extremely bleak; violence and fear
pervade American culture. Into this comes a message from an alien
race.
H.G. Wells edited by Tom Pomplun
reviewed by Susan Dunman
This is a newly revised, second edition of selected works by H.G. Wells. There are all-new comics adaptations
of The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The Inexperienced Ghost, as well as other stories
which did not appear in the first edition. For those familiar with the author, reading these adaptations is like meeting an old friend over coffee.
Robert Louis Stevenson edited by Tom Pomplun
reviewed by Susan Dunman
When someone mentions a "classic" author, what's your first reaction? Do you sparkle with pleasant memories? Or, do you
duck out of the conversation entirely, remembering painful English classes and equally painful trips to the library? If
your "literature appreciation" meter tends to waver toward the negative side of the scale, then you might want to consider
giving Graphic Classics a try.
Starswarm by Jerry Pournelle
reviewed by Steven MacDonald
Pournelle's first solo outing in years is an old-style adventure novel. Like most of his work, this is hard SF, and yet the strongest element is unquestionably the characterization. It's a dynamic coming-of-age tale, set in the future. And it offers ample explanation for Pournelle's longevity as an SF writer.
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Midnight in New Promise by Lon Prater
reviewed by Kit O'Connell
This chapbook has a certain pleasing circularity to its plot -- it begins and ends with an act
of violence. Our hero, Grieven Derleth is a man who makes his living on "dirt" --
that is, collecting secrets selling them to the highest bidder. When the
story opens, Grieven has been caught spying by the Governor's ogre, beaten soundly, and left in an alley.
Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
reviewed by Michael M Jones
Marla Mason is back from San Francisco, and it's time for her to kick some ass and take care of business at home once
again. Felport's up to its sewers in magical trouble, and as always, it's Marla's job to make sure things don't get too
messy. Not only does she have to keep the city's assorted magic practitioners from killing one another over the usual stupid
things like privilege, property, territory and ego, but there's been a breakout at the Blackwing Institute, the combination
mental hospital/prison which houses some of the nastiest, scariest, most insane sorcerers to wreak havoc in the area.
Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt
reviewed by Nathan Brazil
Marla Mason comes across as part Zatanna part Elektra, with a dash of American Psycho.
Tagging along with Marla is her associate, Rondeau, currently possessing
the body of an average human male, which rather nastily, he has held since it belonged to a little homeless boy. The
pair turn up in San Francisco looking for something called the Cornerstone, a rare, magic enhancing artefact.
The last time Marla heard of the Cornerstone, it was in the care of an old ally, Lao Tsung, but he
is dead, apparently murdered, and the only clue to his demise is a poisonous golden frog.
Poison Sleep by T.A. Pratt
reviewed by Rich Horton
Genevieve Kelley, an apprentice magician who retreated into a coma of sorts after she was raped,
has been kept in the Blackwing Institute, a sanatorium for mentally disturbed magicians. Genevieve is a "reweaver" -- she can
rearrange reality to match her dreams. But she has escaped, and she is more or less randomly reweaving
reality in Felport, transporting people to a world of her dreams every so often. Marla needs to track her down and eliminate her threat to her city,
hopefully without killing her.
Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt
reviewed by Rich Horton
Marla Mason is the sorcerer who runs the Rust Belt town of Felport. But her rival, Susan Wellstone, plans an intricate
spell to overturn her, and Marla's only hope to foil her plans is to find a magical object called a Cornerstone. The
only one of which she is aware is in San Francisco, guarded by her old friend Lao Tsung. So she and her sidekick, a not quite
human young man called Rondeau, rush across the country -- only to learn that Lao Tsung has been killed, by a horde of
South American poison frogs.
Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt
reviewed by Michael M Jones
When Marla Mason, sorcerer overlord/guardian of the East Coast city of Felport, travels to San Francisco in search of a
magical artifact, she expects it to be a quick trip. Get in, get what she needs, get out with a minimum of threats, intimidation,
violence, and/or magical persuasion. She certainly doesn't expect to get involved in some major trouble involving San Francisco's
local sorcerers and a mysterious threat picking them off one by one.
Dangerous Games by Michael Prescott
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Try to imagine being trapped in the darkness. Alone. Shackled and left to die. Knowing that no one was going to find you
until it was too late, if ever. Feel the desperation and despair of waiting there, hidden from the world, completely alone
in the cold, dark, damp of the maze that is the Los Angeles storm-drain system. How many of us would go mad long before
the torrents of water came to cover us?
In Dark Places by Michael Prescott
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
From the start, Robin Cameron is just throwing herself in the path of a bullet-train of trouble. She's a psychiatrist, actively in search
of the most unstable people imaginable. Her clients include Justin Gray, a notorious, sadistic serial killer with an uncanny talent for
spotting the weakness in his prey. The radical experiment she is pursuing is intended to cure such sociopaths, but there is no way to
verify the results.
Next Victim by Michael Prescott
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Among the many things that terrify us, serial killers and chemical weapons are right at the top of the list. The last thing we need
is a meeting of the two, so, naturally, thrill master Michael Prescott decides to throw the lethal combination together. What results
is a case that will stretch the resources of the FBI and the strength of one special agent who has pursued the killer for years.
The Shadow Hunter by Michael Prescott
reviewed by Lisa DuMond
Abby Sinclair has just about the most dangerous job you can envision.
Contracting her services out to security firms, she takes the inside track to run stalkers to ground. Against one of
the most dangerous and unpredictable of all criminals she goes undercover, moving in and befriending the stalker,
preparing the profile and risk assessment that is essential to keeping the client/victim alive.
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